A Handy Feng Shui Bagua

Much like the Feng Shui Diagram, we created this slick Bagua as an easy visual reference to assist you in treating the various segments of your environment, as they relate to Feng Shui.

The difference is that this is a cure within itself.  You may print it out and put one in every room (make sure the Career section (the one with the water droplet) is facing the door (or North, depending on which school of Feng Shui you choose). And, remember, as with most Feng Shui cures, it can be hidden from view; it is your intention that is important.

Stick one in the glove box of your car (see the Road Shui article for more) with the Career section facing the front of the car.

Put one under your desk calender with the Career section facing you.

You can even print one out and carry it in your wallet while you travel.

This particular Bagua has visual representations of the various sections, incorporated with the color and numbers associated with them. In the middle, there is a Yin-Yang symbol which indicates balance, surrounded by the I-Ching, a symbol representing ancient Chinese texts, also known as The Book of Changes.

Print it. Laminate it. Have your way with it.

Road Shui

Ever heard the expression:

"Like a deer in headlights"?

I may be mistaken, but I think the reason that deer freeze up is because they can't compute a giant hunk of metal barreling towards them at 80 mph. It's just not natural.

Cats, dogs, squirrels, badgers, porcupines, etc. etc. just dart across the street (okay, porcupines don't really "dart") without a second thought.  Why? Because in the millions of years since the advent of life on Earth, there has never been anything capable of moving that fast until the last century or so.

What does this have to do with Feng Shui?

First of all, modern transportation is moving energy very quickly—more quickly than it has ever moved on this planet. And Feng Shui is all about energy.

Second, ancient Feng Shui masters were, at best, riding around in rickshaws or horse-drawn carriages. And that was likely few and far between, as they were probably busy moving stuff around the palace, inches at a time, to see what was working.  Jet planes and sports cars weren't much of a concern.

Lastly, as resilient and adaptable as we humans are, it's a bit shocking on the body and the environment to be hurtling down the road or through the sky at any speed faster than you can run. And Feng Shui is all about harmonizing "external" energy with the body.

To be clear, this article isn't intended to dissuade anyone from driving—in fact, I'm writing this on my cell phone on the way into the office*—it's to help take some of the principles of the ancient art of Feng Shui and apply them to the modern art of driving in rush hour.

To recap: Feng Shui is the art of placement. It is the art of deliberately placing objects to calm fast-moving energy (Chi); and stimulate stagnant energy.

In the case of driving, we're dealing with energy that's moving way too fast—and a lot of it. 

Additionally, there is another, more subtle, factor, and that is the stagnant emotional energy created by a large, concentrated group of people that are, for the most part, not where they want to be.

This leaves us with stagnant energy being output at dizzying speeds. In other words, stagnant emotions like anger, frustration and revenge are being launched into the ethers at 80 mph. And, since they are stagnant, they don't move with the originator of the emotion—they trudge along and pummel the next guy and compound, and the next guy and compound, and the next guy, and the next girl, and so forth and so on until...

Wham! They hit you.

And, unlike them, you were in a great mood. Just driving down the freeway, singing show tunes, when, all of a sudden—you're feeling a little anxious and can't quite put your finger on it.

This is the recipe for Road Rage. 

This is why that—otherwise gentle and kind—soccer mom over there is giving you the bird.

So what can you do?

As in all Feng Shui literature, first and foremost—clear the clutter and dust from your car. Keep it clean and pleasant. And, make sure that there is something beautiful to look at while you drive.

Unless you drive everywhere in reverse, chances are the above diagram, based on energy flowing from front to back, will work for you. Just apply the Feng Shui Bagua to your car with the Career section facing the front.

Here are some starter tips:

• Just like you would hang a round Feng Shui crystal just inside your front door, you may hang one from your rearview mirror to disperse incoming energy.
  
• Put a little picture on the driver's side dash (Travel Section) of somewhere you'd like to travel.
  
• Keep a little Bagua in the car under the front floor mat. 
  
• Try red floor mats in the back, as red attracts Chi, as well as spans across the three back sections; Love, Fame and Wealth.
  
• String some red ribbon through some Chinese coins and put them in the Wealth section
  

Otherwise, get creative using similar Feng Shui cures for the individual sections as you would in your home or office. (Refrain from putting a water fountain in the console.)

WARNING: there are people that sell Bagua mirrors specifically for cars. This is just going to make things miserable for those around you (and, eventually, will come back around), especially at freeway speeds.

All in all, use your intuition on what feels good to you. Make it so that when you get in your car it feels good.

Tame this fast-moving, powerful energy and use it to your advantage.

. . .

*not really.

A Handy Feng Shui Diagram

Feng Shui is really about placing things in a way that allows energy to flow evenly through your home or office. As mentioned before, there is no "good" or "bad" energy, there is just energy that is either flowing nicely, or energy that is moving way too fast or way too slow (or not at all).

a Bagua map puts the "U" in Feng Shui.

The ancient Chinese art of Feng Shui is quite complex, and there are myriad books written on the subject. However, to get started, you may use the handy diagram above to determine where the nine specific sections are in your space.

This diagram shows which colors are best for each area, as well as which shapes. For instance, triangles are great in the Fame and Reputation section, as well as the color red; Creativity and Children likes circles and white. So you can start by using this diagram to walk around your space and see what's going on in the various sections.

There are two schools of Feng Shui, one that uses the front door as the reference; while the other uses a compass to determine what goes where—they both use the same Bagua. If one resonates more with you, that's fine. Either way this will help you.

Mirror, Mirror, on the Door—What's a Bagua Mirror For?

The Bagua mirror is a simple and effective way to divert fast-moving, disruptive energy away from your home or office. But, before you hop down to Chinatown or place an order online, make sure that you know what you are looking for.

How to determine whether a Bagua mirror is necessary for you.
From the inside, open your front door and look straight ahead. Does it feel calm and peaceful? If so, then you're probably fine without one.

If not, let's try and figure out why. It's probably pretty obvious—a road aiming right for you (energy moving way too fast); a big tree, streetlight or some other flow-disrupting obstacle (energy moving too slow); or perhaps the corner of a building or other pointy object aiming at you (energy too concentrated [aka: Arrow Chi]).

Those are just a few of the myriad examples that could be affecting your energy—you get the idea. You should know the moment you open the door whether or not it's necessary.

Okay, I need one. May I go to Chinatown now???
Yes, but one more thing, and I'm only saying this because I have been in stores and noticed that all three varieties of Bagua mirrors are available, with no explanation attached.

What you want is a flat Bagua mirror (the circular mirror part in the middle). The other two varieties: convex and concave, are used for absorption and reversal, respectively, and should only be used under specific circumstances by professionals (usually on a temporary basis).

I got my flat Bagua mirror—where do I put it?
It is recommended to put the flat Bagua Mirror above your front door (they usually have a little nail thingy), however, you may put it on the front door, wherever it feels good.

Where do I not put it?
Whatever you do, DO NOT USE A BAGUA MIRROR INSIDE. I didn't know any better when I first got into Feng Shui and put a convex Bagua mirror on my bedroom door, and things got really intense with a roomate situation and I couldn't figure out why until much later when I discovered that both inside and concave were no-nos.

Trust yourself.
As with any Feng Shui cure, it is your intention that is most important. So, use your intuition. Pay attention to how the energy is feeling to you, then adjust accordingly.

Meet me at the flagpole. 3pm.

In movies, when a fight is about to break out, they always say something to the effect of:

"You wanna take this outside?"

This is obviously to avoid a bar brawl, suspension from school—or offended children.



In Feng Shui, we take energy very seriously. There is no "bad" energy—there is only energy (or "Chi"). And it is all about flowing. Like most things, when it gets stuck or is moving too fast, it can have adverse effects.

Most of us have experienced having a heated argument with someone, or walked into a room where you "could cut the tension with a knife...". Those are great examples of "stuck" energy. 

There is no "arguee" in an argument—just two or more arguers. An argument is two conflicting opinions, always resulting (at least temporarily) in a deadlock. (Read: stuck energy.)

I once heard someone say "the best way to stop an argument is to stop arguing". That is probably the best advice, as it will avoid the inevitable impasse. However, that's easier said than done.

So, if you must argue—take it outside.

Why start an "energy brawl" in your living room?—leave your living room to living.

At the onset of any argument, step up and say "let's take this outside!". Worst-case-scenario, the other person will say "No! I'm not moving until we settle this!", then you can go outside and have a one-sided argument and a pleasant walk.